An air conditioner is a valuable addition to any home, and it’s essential to monitor the equipment to ensure that it is performing efficiently. Most air conditioners (A/C units) have a lifespan close to fifteen years, provided they are maintained. This piece will cue you in on all you need to know about substituting your current AC unit with an upgrade, so you can make the best decision for your home.

Here’s how to know that it may be time for a new air conditioner.

1. The air conditioner regularly breaks down.

An AC unit that is persistently failing when temperatures surpass a specific value indicates that it’s time for replacing it. This might be a problem associated with failure to conduct maintenance. The technicians who do maintenance can identify the actual problem with your AC unit and recommend the necessary action.

The fan blades, contacts, thermostat, or other essential components of the AC unit might have worn out through time or clogged with dust particles. These elements might be costly to repair, warranting the substitution of the whole system instead of spare parts that may be hard to find– especially if they are manufacturer-specific and can’t be substituted.

2. The energy bills keep increasing.

An air conditioner uses electricity to power its thermostat and start regulating the temperature. An AC unit is among the energy-consuming systems in the house. When the energy bill increases, it might be a sign that it’s time to replace the old system with a new one. In this sector, manufacturers are regularly coming up with new energy-efficient air conditioners.

Switching to a new model to minimize the energy bill might be the solution for those users in this situation. When evaporator coils utilize too much energy even after maintenance, it implies that it is time to substitute the system because it has become inefficient.

3. The air conditioner has the R-22 refrigerant.

Freon or R-22 is a common refrigerant in older model air conditioners. After scientists discovered that it was taking away the ozone in the atmosphere, this refrigerant was discontinued. The ban on R-22 means that the AC units with this refrigerant need to be substituted with new ones– because they won’t be able to be repaired otherwise.

Luckily, modern technology provides R410-A, which does not contribute to the thinning of the ozone layer. The new refrigerant minimizes the hassle of finding good R22 replacement refrigerant at a reasonable price.

Live in Pittsburgh? Triangle Air Conditioning should be your go-to Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) company. Whether you’re upgrading your old AC or setting up a new one, our skilled technicians will get the job done for you in no time! Schedule an appointment today and be one of the many satisfied customers we’ve had since 1952!